Plate-lifter.



G. LAUBE.

' PLATE LIFTER. APBLIOATION FILED' Dnc. 10,'1908.

- Patented Mam, 1191-0.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lvanoz G. LAUBE. PLATE LIPTBR.

A APPLICATION-FILED DE(I}.10,19081. Patented Mar. 8,

2 SHEETS-SHEET a.

tinten sri-inns arianna eration.

GOIDFRIEID LAURE, OF SANTA MNICA., CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 HATTIE R.LAUBE AND (tE-ORGE N. BARTLETT, F SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA.

PLATE-LIFTER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patenten naar. s, aero.

Application led becember l0, 1908. Serial No. 466,901.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known tha/t I, Gonrninn LAURE, a citizen of the United StatesotAmerica, residing at Santa Monica, in the county of Los ngeles and'State of California, have invented certain new and usefui Improvementsin Plate-Litters, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a plate lifter,

and the primary object-of my invention is l to combine a lifter, nutcracker`,'taok puller and utensil scraper, thus prodncinga householdarticle that can be used for various pur.-

nut cracker, the handle portion of the lifter being used for thispurpose yand suitably y bra ed to prevent distortion.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a pan lifter with anovel handle that will not become hot When the lifter is engaged with apan set upon a stove or burner. y A still further object of thisinvention is to provide a simple, durable and inexpensive householdarticle that will be'posit-ive in its action, and free from injury byordinary use. i

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a panlifter constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is valongitudinal sectional view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a top plan, Fig. 4 is a bottom plan, Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of the pan lifter used as a nut cracker, Fig. 6 is a similar viewshowing the pan lifter attached to a pan in a clamped position, and Fig.7 is a similar view illustrating the pan litter loosely mounted upon apan. t

In the accompanying drawings, 1 and 2 designate two channel-shapedmembers pivotally 'connected together by a transverse pin 3'. Theforward end of the member 2 is flared, as at 4, and provided with aplurality of depending gripping fingers 5, said fingers and the tieredend of the member 2 being reinforced by longitudinally disposed ribs orcorrugations 6. The rear end of the member 2 serves functionally as ahandle and is provided with a plurality of openings or perforations 7 topermit air to circulate 1n and ont the member and retain the member in acool condition when fixed to a hot pan. The member is corrugated, as at.8, to permit of a positive grip being had on the same, and at the rearend thereof is provided with a transversel groove 9, for a purpose thatwill presently appear. The rear end of the member is notched, as at l0,whereby said member can be used as a tack puller.

The forward end of the member l is bifurcated, as at `11,.to provideclearance for that portion of themember 2 pivoted in the member 1. Thebifurcated end of the member 1 is bent downwardlyv at an inclinationcorresponding to the inclination of the depending ingers 5, and securedto the bifurcated end 1s a transverse scraper 12 employed for removingmaterial that adheres to a pan. The scraper 12 is formed of thin springmetal, such as steel, so as to present a tine cutting or scraping edgeto the material to be scraped, and to render the same flexible. Theutility of iexibility in Scrapers is generally reco ized as it gives thesame a greater scraping value, by enabling the scraping point to followunder the material'instead of gliding over the same. By riveting thescraper to the legs y11 the saine may be removed when worn.

1When the lifter is to be used on a cooking vessel or pot having anoutwardly curved wall, the scraper 412 will be bent rearwardly onthecurved wall so that there will be a tension created against the grippingfingers `5, whereby the lifter can secure a good hold on the upper edgeot'said vessel or pot.

The rear end of the member 1 is apertured and corrugated, similar to themember 2, and the confronting edges of these members are provided withserrations or teeth 13 whereby a nut can be gripped between said membersand cracked. v

To prevent` the rear end of the member 1 from spreading when pressure isbrought to bear upon the same, said member is provided with a transversewire sta le 14, the ends of said staple further facilitating the holdingofthe member 1 when the member 2 is allowed to drop preparatory toIplacing the lifter upon a pan.

Mounted transversely of the rear end of the member 1 is an eyebolt 15'and loosely connected to said eyebolt is a resilient loop 16 adapted tobe placed over the rear end of the member 2 and engage in the groove 9for holding said members in a closed position with the fingers 5engaging the inner side of the pan, While the scraper at the end of themember 1 supporting said scraper engages the outer side of the pan. Themember 12 therefore while capable of being used as a scraper, acts alsoas an important element of the implement when the latter isl utilized asa lifter. Most pans or deep plates which are either set on the stove orplaced in the oven where they become heated, are, as is well known,provided with a bead at the rim thereof, and when the lifter is used,the Haring part 4 will lie on the top edge of the utensil with the angleat the upper end of the lip 11 fitting under the bead, and

when the two handle members are forced toward each other, the element 12is brought into engagement with the outer face of the pan at a pointconsiderably lower than where the fingers engage with the inner face ofthe Siamese the Width of the lip, provides, as the same yields underpressure, an extended gripping engagement with the outer face of the panas the handle members are forced together under pressure.

A It is apparent from the foregoing description that I have devised acombined household article that will not injure granite or enamel Wareto which it is secured, and will greatly facilitate the Work of a chefin t-he culinary department.

While in the drawings forming a part of this application there isillustrated the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is obviousthat the same can be Varied or changed as to shape, proportion andmanner of assemblage without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new, is

A pan lifter, comprisinor a pair of channelshaped memberspivotzly-connected lto-4 gether, one handle member ending in an angleddared-extension, a plurality of fingers on said extension, the otherhandle member terminating at the corresponding end in adownwardly-extending bifurcated-lip, parallel to the aforesaid liaredextension and ofgreater len th than the lingers, and a gripping-jaw ofthin flexible material riveted t the rear face of said li and of alength to extend beyond the imp ement.

In testimony whereof I affix my sigan' ture in the presence of twowitnesses.

GODFRIED LUBFJ lVitnesses:

BLANCHARD OGDE1\:, WM. H. D. Sramana.

